Isn't everyone part Irish?

On the other side of the coin

Thanks to Laura for forwarding this NY Times Op Ed by Frank Rich on the fumbles of the Clinton campaign.

President Al Gore

If only everything that Al said was true. When did he develop a sense of humor, or at least allow all of us to see it?

Tina and Steve

I love Steve Martin.

Go Tina!

I'm not a Hillary Clinton supporter, but I do think that Tina Fey is hysterically funny. Check out her return to the Weekend Update desk.

The 80th Annual Academy Awards, Pt. 3

The best speech of the night almost didn't happen. I'm not sure if it was Jon Stewart's idea or the producers of the show, but I thought it was a wonderful idea to have Marketa Irglova come back after the commercial break to give her interrupted speech. She talked about the spirit of the independent artists and songwriters. I must see Once. I read about it a few months ago in a blurb in the NY Times, but I haven't really been actively seeing movies in the past few months. The gals and I did see There Will Be Blood last night. Daniel Day-Lewis definitely deserved the Oscar for his performance.

Why, Ralph, Why?

Ralph Nader entered the 2008 Presidential Race. Why? I recently watched a documentary on PBS about his last two campaigns for office. I think it explains it all.

The 80th Annual Academy Awards, Pt. 2

The first big award of the evening goes to Javier Bardem. I have not seen the movie, so I will reserve judgment on the selection. But he gave a very nice speech, and he brought his mom to the award ceremony. Isn't that cute?

And the first shocker of the evening is Tilda Swinton winning Best Supporting Actress for Michael Clayton. She also called George Clooney out on the nippled Batman suit. Classic!

The 80th Annual Academy Awards, Pt. 1

So far so good. Jon Stewart is doing a great job. Who else would have the guts to say Gadolf Titler on live television with millions of people watching?

The first award of the evening goes to the costume designer for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Her name escapes me, but I think she did a fantastic job. I saw the movie on the flight to Sonoma last weekend, so it wasn't exactly a quality screening, but I could definitely tell that the costumes were fantastic.

The second award (and don't worry, I won't do this all evening) was won by Brad Bird for Ratatouille. I didn't see the movie, but I will put it on my Netflix list.

A Lighter Note

Sometimes I get the impression that our friends in the Northeast do not appreciate Midwesterns, and often think that we are backwater hicks, incapable of any culture.  The illustrious New York Times highlights the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's recent visit to Carnegie Hall. 

A prayer

I guess this blog is good for something. It gives me an outlet for random thoughts or to let out feelings that I wouldn't ordinarily talk about in company.  Tonight, I found out that the son of one of my co-workers took his own life.  The boy was in middle school.  I didn't know him, but I work with his dad every day.  His dad is such a sweet and giving person that I can only assume that his son was the same.  I found out about two hours ago, but my mind is still reeling.  I found out from his boss, who I also work with daily.  His boss, who usually is very wordy, was at a loss for words.  I am just as shocked.  I tried to bury myself in shows I recorded on my DVR. I tried to meditate and clear my mind.  But I can't.  I trace back to those days in junior high/middle school that were so unbearable and I wonder how I got through it.  Why didn't I succumb to the melancholy and depression that consumed my classmates, and that obviously consumed this boy enough to take his life.  I don't know any of the circumstances, but I know that his mom and dad are suffering so much, trying to figure out the answers.  But, I think there are no answers, only questions.  The questions that will haunt his parents forever. 

So, I ask you to close your eyes and to say a prayer for a lost soul.   

Sonoma

I want to move to Sonoma.  

Buzz kill

I had a grand old time in Sonoma with Pam and the gals. It was such a great weekend and what a pain that I have to wait at O'Hare. My San Francisco flight landed at 7:45 p.m. and my St. Louis flight was supposed to leave at 9:45 p.m. Well, it's 10:04 and I'm obviously not on the plane. We are waiting for O'Hare Air Traffic Control to give us the go to board. Our tentative departure time is 11:05 p.m. This situation just reinforces my belief that you should avoid connections at O'Hare if at all possible.

UPDATE: My flight is now leaving at 11:20 p.m. Arg!

Jewelry

Part of the bachelorette revelry is selecting the jewelry for the wedding. Jennifer Boston, who is participating in the Thai portion of Pam's wedding, also designs jewelry. Check out her site -- Jewelry by Jennifer.

Roll Over or Keep on Truckin'

I can't decide how I feel about Mike Huckabee staying in the Republican. I believe it is statistically impossible for him to win the number of delegates to secure the nomination. However, he is still hanging in there, based on his comments to CNN. Part of me admires the fact that he isn't rolling over at the behest of the RNC. The other part is thinking that he's crazy and should quit to leave his dignity intact. We'll see after March 4.

Now, don't freak out. I'm a die-hard Democrat, and this will probably be my only post strictly dedicated to a Republican.

Sunny skies

Here are a few points so far in the big bachelorette weekend in Sonoma.

• San Francisco is beautiful. 
• San Franciscans cannot drive.  The majority of the drivers are incapable of using a turn signal or deciding which they want to turn. The hills don't make it easier. 
• You can't fly out of Chicago O'Hare without changing gates, and most of the time your gate change will not be announced.  
• The house we rented in Glen Ellen is totally retro!  I'll take a few snapshots and post them later. 
• My body did not adjust to the time change.  That's why I'm typing this blog at 6:40 a.m. PST. 

Spring Fever

Woo-hoo! The Cardinals pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training in Jupiter, Florida yesterday. Spring is here!

Random thoughts

1. Sweet P was auf'd from Project Runway tonight.  She was my favorite designer.  She has a lot of heart and I'm sorry to see her go.  Check out the five runway shows at Fashion Week.  The judges are going to choose between Rami and Chris to go on to the final 3.  My pick is Chris.  Rami is technically proficient but BORING!
2. Senator Obama swept the last eight primaries/caucuses.  I sincerely hope that this nomination doesn't come down to the superdelegates.  If that happens, I am tempted to switch to the Dark Side. 
3. I am halfway packed for this weekend's Sonoma trip.  I just want to get there, be warm, relax, and drink.  

UPDATE: Check out the commentary from the Project Rungay guys on the 5 designer collections. 

Change

If you are a regular visitor, you'll notice that I've changed the blog template AGAIN.  Maybe the third time really is the charm.  Your comments are welcome.

Nothing new

I don't have too much to post today.  I'm trying to fight off the flu bug that is running around EVERYWHERE.  This weekend is Pam's bachelorette party in Sonoma.  I'm really looking forward to relaxing at the wineries and enjoying the 60 degree weather.  I am not going to be sick! Think positive thoughts, eh?

New fun facts

I learned a lot in my 36-hour trip to Minneapolis.  Here are a few items:

1. There isn't much difference between -5 F and -15 F. 
2. The Mall of America is just a really big mall with a roller coaster in the middle of it. 
3. Pannenkoeken tastes a lot like french toast. 
4. The Wii is a highly addictive gaming system, and playing it made my biceps sore. 
5. Chocolate Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper is delicious!

When Hell Freezes Over...

...it might feel like Minneapolis. =) Well, at least the temperature would be the same.  I'm in Minneapolis visiting Pam and Jeff.  The temperature right now is a very brisk -5 degrees.  It seems like a nice place and I definitely want to come back and experience the city in warmer weather.  

Break Time

It's time to take a break from politics.  Let's write about something fun, like Project Runway, or in this case, Project Rungay.  If you are addicted to Project Runway, you must read this blog.  Tom and Lorenzo are a riot and very snarky.  I love it!  For new readers, here are some nicknames you will need to know:

Duchess - Michael Kors

Sissy Bear - Chris

Princess Puffysleeves (my favorite nickname) - Christian

Happy reading!

14 million

I watched NBC Nightly News tonight and Tim Russert reported on the Super Tuesday results.  He flashed up the popular vote.  It was very narrow margin, something like 50,000 votes -- 1/2 of 1% of the total.  I just looked up the actual numbers and our friends at Time Magazine have it all figured out.  Over 14 million people voted in the Democratic primaries and caucuses, as opposed to the 8 million for the Republican races.  

What do the numbers tell you?  

Exactly.  We can really make a difference.  Don't give up and keep on moving toward November.

Hail Hail

After so many posts about Super Tuesday, here's a weather-related story.  This afternoon, I drove to my parents' house to pick up my mom for a doctor's appointment.  It had been raining heavily all day.  As I turned to the main street near their house, the skies opened up and down came the hail.  It was a torrential hail storm, which lasted about 10 minutes, and those were the scariest 10 minutes of my life. Seriously.  I was driving about 5 miles per hour, trying not to hit anyone, because I couldn't see anything. I didn't want to stop in the middle of the road, because I was afraid that someone might rear-end my car.  The force of the hail was so strong and so fast, I thought my windshield was going to crack into a million pieces.  The streets were like fast-moving rivers and I wasn't sure if my car would make it without flooding.  I eventually made it to my parents' house and picked up my mom.  I really debated with her about whether or not we should go.  We were yelling in the car, not out of anger, but because the hail was so loud that we couldn't hear each other. My mom lived in Thailand for the first 30 years of her life and has lived through incredible monsoons.  She said that she has never experienced anything like today's freak storm.  

I think this was the same storm system that caused all of the havoc and destruction in Arkansas and Tennessee.  My heart goes out to everyone who lost friends and family members tonight.  

Newscasters are funny.

I got tired of the CNN coverage and switched over to PBS' NewsHour team.  They just had a funny moment where the video from John McCain's headquarters was on the screen, but they were playing the audio from Barack Obama's headquarters.  It was hilarious to hear Jim Lehrer say this, "Wait, why are we hearing Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) at John McCain's headquarters?" 

I am a big fan of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and I wish I watched it more often.  It airs at six o'clock in St. Louis and I'm usually at the gym or at my parents' house for dinner.  Maybe I'll set the DVR tomorrow.  Anyway, it's an hour-long newscast, hence the name, and the reporting team focuses on the actual content of a story, instead of the soundbite.  The reporters provide real in-depth information and analysis.  I always feel a little smarter and more well-rounded after I watch one of their broadcasts.   

Exit Polls

As a follow-up to my previous post, check out the exit poll data for the Missouri Democratic race.  I've never been a huge fan of Kansas City, but now I really have something against the city.  Their majority voted against Obama.   Be sure to scan through all six pages of the exit poll. It's strangely fascinating.

How in the world??

As I watch the returns for Super Tuesday, I am mildly disturbed that CNN and all of the other networks project winners when only 2% of the precincts have reported their numbers. Didn't they learn anything about exit polls from the 2000 general election?

Come over to our side...

I think I just convinced a fellow co-worker, who usually votes as a Republican, to vote for Barack Obama. Missouri has an open primary, which means you do not need to register under any particular party. I believe that McCain has a solid lock on Missouri, but the Democratic side is up in the air. I also explained to Dave, my co-worker, that the Democrats distribute their delegates proportionately, unlike the Republicans, who award the delegates as all-or-nothing. He told me that he doesn't want Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic nominee, so I told him that he should cast his vote for Obama.

We'll see how it works out.

Bring it on!

I am so ready for Super Tuesday. I am going to wake up early (or try to) and go to my polling place. And, after the polls close, I am going to park myself in front of my TV and watch as much election coverage as possible.

But before that happens, I would like to share the reason why I started believing in Barack Obama. This is his 2004 Democratic Convention Speech. If you have 16 minutes to spare in your busy day, I implore you to listen and watch Obama's speech. He hasn't changed his tune in four years. The message is the same and the fire and passion are still there. If you are undecided, give Barack a chance. He will make you believe that each individual's opinion and vote matters. He calls it the audacity of hope.

Crazy Train

Well, the crazy train ran straight through Glendale, Arizona tonight. Full steam ahead! I wanted the NY Giants to win. I always like to root for the underdog, and my dad always says that you should root for the conference or league in which your home team plays. We live in St. Louis, and the Rams are part of the NFC. Since, I was watched the game at my parents house, we rooted for the Giants. Follow my logic?

Earlier this week, I read an interesting take on the Brady vs. Manning debate. It was a piece in the New York Times Style section. I will be the first one to admit that Tom Brady is hot. I saw his interview on 60 Minutes and I liked his work ethic and his ambition. But, I was a little put off by his sense of inevitability. Maybe that's why he wins, because he believes that he will win every time he plays. I guess that didn't work out this time around. Kudos to Eli Manning and the Giants. This is the first time I really paid attention to the game and was genuinely interested in the outcome.

Super Bowl Halftime Show

So, Tom Petty is currently performing in the Super Bowl Halftime Show. He's a great musician, but what an incredibly safe choice by Fox and the NFL. I don't think we've seen a performance by someone under 30 at the halftime show, ever since that damn wardrobe malfunction.

What a shame.

We can change the world.

Barack Obama made his last stop of Super Saturday in St. Louis, where 20,000 people greeted him. I was one of them. My friends, both named Sarah, and I had dinner and headed out to the Edward Jones Dome for the 9:00 p.m. rally. We drove past the drunken revelers from the Soulard Mardi Gras celebration. I thought to myself, these people are going to miss out on history here tonight.

After finding a free parking spot and hiking to the Dome, we awaited the arrival of the Senator. I thought that maybe he would be late because he was all of over the country today. I watched CNN for a good portion of the day and saw bits of Obama's speeches in Boise on Saturday morning and in Minneapolis in the early afternoon. The man must be exhausted. But, when he arrived at 9:15, he was in remarkably good spirits. I would like to think he was energized by our large crowd. I really didn't know there were 20,000 people there until Senator Claire McCaskill said so. And, after checking the Obama website, I found out that there were 20,000 in Minneapolis and 15,000 in Boise. So, Barack Obama spoke to 55,000 people today. That's incredible!

The speech was fantastic. I've seen him on TV and I've seen the acceptance speeches, but seeing and hearing Obama live is pretty freaking cool. I was also excited because my friends were there with me, and they were excited too. Sarah R. admitted that she usually doesn't usually keep up with politics, because she is fed up with all of the crap out there. I hope tonight showed her that there is a positive movement going on in the Obama camp. And, with our help, I really think that Barack Obama can lead our country to a better and happier existence.

We really can change the world.